Archive: Opinions

My name is Matt Van Houten and I am running for the office of Tompkins County District Attorney.  I grew up in this area and graduated from Dryden High School in 1985.  After graduating from West Point, serving in the Army, and attending law school, I returned to Tompkins County to practice law in 1995.  I raised my daughter here, as a single father. Tompkins County is my home and it is a wonderful place to live and to raise a family.

The District Attorney, as the leader of our county's law enforcement, has the ability to make a significant and lasting impact upon our community.  The District Attorney must be more than just a prosecutor – he or she has a duty to the people of Tompkins County to pursue, above all, justice.  I will work tirelessly to ensure that individuals are prosecuted firmly but fairly, and adjudicated without stereotypes or prejudices.

I will pursue innovative solutions to address the underlying issues with which so many people struggle, with the goal of making our community safer in the immediate future and in the long term.  People who have been victimized by crimes must feel that the system is working to protect their rights, not just those of the defendant.  I am committed to ensuring that Tompkins County will not be an attractive place for criminal activity.  That means holding people accountable for their behavior, with the safety of our community as the top priority.

The DA is responsible for acting on behalf of the community, which requires a meaningful and ongoing dialogue with the people of Tompkins County.  This means listening respectfully to the public, taking their feedback seriously, and understanding their point of view.  It means facilitating interaction between the public and our law enforcement agencies in order to improve the level of mutual understanding and respect.  It means being aware of and vigilant for the inherent and systemic inequities which affect us here as they affect the nation as a whole.

My goal is to inspire a new level of public confidence in the criminal justice system in our community.  Over the past twenty years, I've seen far too many families affected by criminal behavior.  My extensive trial experience, not only in the criminal cases I have handled, but in Family Court representing parents and advocating for children, makes me extremely qualified to prosecute cases as the District Attorney.  I bring the experience, judgment and perspective which the District Attorney needs to zealously pursue justice in Tompkins County.

Matt Van Houten
Ithaca, NY

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